The State Department has informally confirmed to Congress that Republican super-donor Sheldon Adelson is the buyer of the US ambassador’s official residence in Israel, a congressional aide tells The Associated Press.
Lawmakers in the House and Senate are now looking into whether the deal complied with regulations.
The US Embassy in Israel announced the deal this week — a sale that is meant to cement President Donald Trump’s controversial move of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But the embassy refused to identify the buyer or disclose the sale price of the sprawling beachfront compound in the upscale Tel Aviv suburb of Herzliya.
US President Donald Trump pats Las Vegas Sands Corporation Chief Executive and Republican mega donor Sheldon Adelson on the arm before speaking at the Israeli American Council National Summit in Hollywood, Florida, December 7, 2019. (Patrick Semansky/AP)
The Israeli business newspaper Globes has identified the buyer as Adelson, a strong supporter of both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It said the price was over $80 million, making it the most expensive residential real-estate transaction in Israeli history. Representatives for Adelson, a billionaire casino magnate, did not respond to messages seeking comment.
A congressional aide says the State Department has confirmed public reports of the sale to Adelson. The aide says the “biggest question” now is how much rent will be paid by US taxpayers while Friedman remains at the property. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private information.
— AP
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From 
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
